Excavating-machine.



0. O.` APP.

ExcAvATlNG `bwm'cHlNE,

APPLICATION. FILED FEB. 20, |911- RENEWED MAY 3h 191i'.

'Patented Jam Y, i919. 5 SHEETS-SHEET:

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0. 0. APP. EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPucATloN mED 1153.20.1911. KEN1-:win MAY 31.1917.

Patentd Jan. 7, 1919.

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RENEWED MAY 31.1917.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 19|]- Patented Jan. 7,1919.

5 SHEETS-*SHEET 3 l N m m um a w 0. 0. APP.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB .20.1911. RENEWED MAY 31.1911.

)atented Jan. 7, 1919.

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. 0. APP.

` [X TVING MACHINE. APPLICATION man 53.20. 19u. eNews-:n MAY 31.1911

1,290,479. Patented Jan. 7,1919,

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ENT F nXoAvnrINe-Mnonrnn Leconte.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented t an. "Y, 191e.

Application inea February 2o, 191i, serial nolcoacio. Renewed nay 31, 1917. serial No. 172,103.

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit known thatl, Onrvnn O. Arima citi* zen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the borough of Manhattanand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description. t

This invention relates to trenching and excavating machines and more particularly to appliances of this character which are intended to trench through or eXcavate hard' earths or rock, as well, of course `as sand and lighter earths-` @ne object of my invention is to provide a novel mechanism comprising rotatably mounted and preferably powerdriventools which are adapted to co-act with interposed buckets or the like in such manner that while the said tools serve to disintegrate or break up hard matter to be removed, the buckets will substantially simultaneously scrape or scoop up such disintegratedand other softer material and remove thesame from the cut.

Another object of my inventionis to provide means in a mechanism of the foregoing type for individually driving said tools.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the individuall driving means for said tools will mutually co-aot and aid each other in operation.

A still further object of my invention is to so mount the novel trenching and excavating parts of the said mechanism that the same may be `swung up or down and laterally to vary the size and shape of the cut, without necessitating a change in location of the principal supporting parts of said mechanism.

I further purpose `to adapt the said supporting parts and hence `the excavating parts for translation along a track or the like and to provide means for locking such parts against inadvertent displacement.

rlhese and other objects of my invention will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly set forth in the appended Fig. I3 is a section taken substantially on line Ill-lll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section of another modified form of said wheelsimilar to section lV.

Fig. 7 is a detail section taken substantially on line VII-VH of Fig. 6, the con-` necting rod eccentric and guide box being shown in full.

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on the line Vlllevlll of Fig. 7.

Considering first the construction exemplified in l and 2, the appliance therein shown comprises a car l, suitably mounted on mfheels El, and adapted to run on the track 3. Standards 4L are preferably disposed at each of the forward corners of this car and these standards are connected at their upper extremities by a yoke 5, while the corresponding rear standards 6 are disposed upon either side of the car soniiewhatback of the center line thereof, and are correspondingly yoked or connected together by the yoke i. A cross member 8 unites the upper portions of yokes 5 and 7 and suitable guys 9, one of which is upon either sido of the machine, are connected at their upper extremities to the rear end of the connecting member S. and extend outwardly and downwardly toward the rear corners of the car, being pivotally connected thereto at 10; Turnbuckles il are preferably provided in these guide rods so that they may be placed under proper tension. The foregoing elements constitute a rigid frame for supporting the operative parts of the device. At the forward extremity of the car substantially on the center line thereof, a bearing l2 is provided and a corresponding bearing 13 is formed directly thereabove in the center of the yoke 5.

These bearings are adapted for the reception of trunnions carried by a massive @-shaped frame lfl. Forwardly extending from either side of thisframe are brackets l5 avhich are .journaled on their outer face for the reception of a. shaft 16, suitable caps 17 carried by the said brackets holding such shaft in position. As shown in Fig. 2 the greater portion of the frame 18 is substantially oval,

.and tip-standing cured to the forward end of the car.

are ournaled 4in suitable bearings 24 which yform apart of a movable cradle or housing 25. This housing consists of a vplatform 26 somewhat triangularly shaped sides which project upwardly from either side of said platform. F orwardly cxtending fromthese sides andpreferably integrally yunited therewith, is a frame 27. This frame carries four. rollers 28, two upon either side thereof, which rollers are adapted tol engage the respective flanks of the avorm .Y gear aforesaid. Two sets ofguide rollers 29 are correspondingly adapted for engagement with flanges which project from the sides of a pair of arcuate racks 30, which racks are disposed substantially midway between the standards 4 and 6, the upper extremities of Said racks being preferably integrally united to the yoke 5 upon either side of the bearing 13 therein, while they lower extremities of the racks are fixedly se- Pinions 31 are securely mounted upon the hollow shafts'23 and positioned for engagement lwith the respective i'acks 30, so that the housing and correspondingly the worm gear may be raised andlowered by rotating said pinions, and of course, when t-he said worm gear is elevated, for example, the arms 19 which form the other extremity of frame 13 will be correspondingly depressed. Two motors are carried by housing 25, one, 32, being adapted to drive the worm 21 by means of a pinion 33 carried by the motor shaft, and a gear 34 which meshes therewith and which is mounted upon one extremity of the shaft 22; while the second motor correspondingly drives the pinions 31 by means of a pinion 36 n'iounted upon the extremity of its motor shaft which meshes with a gear 37 mounted upon the counter-shaft 38 which is journaled in the sides of the housing aforesaid. rl`his counter-shaft carrying upon either extremity thereofa pinion 39. The

respective short hollow shafts 23 each carry a gear 40, said gears respectively being in mesh with the pinions 39, so that when motor 35 is driven in one directionA or the other, pinions 31 will be correspondingly rotated clockwise, or counterclockwise, as the case may be, and the housing and the .worm gear aforesaid-raised or lowered v.in themanner described.

The shaft 16 carries centrally disposed thereof a sprocket 41 which in this instance is provided with four teeth, said sprocket being adapted for engagement with pins 42 of the flexible element, in this instance the chain 43. A motor 44 is mounted upon a suitable )bracket 45 which depends from the frame 18, said bracket being integrally united to the inner side of the woim gear which forms a part of said frame. The shaft 46 in this motor is disposed substantially parallel to 'the frame 15, and the outer extremity thereof is journaled in an auxiliary bracket 47 which is carried by the corresponding arm 19. Shaft 46 carries a worm 48, which drives a worm gear 49, and thereby the shaft 16, so that when motor 44 is operated, 'the chain 43 may be continuously driven in one direction. In this instance sprocket 41 is driven couliter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1. Chain 43 comprises as elements thereof a series of scraping de- La large tool-carrying sprocket wheel 51.

Various forms of this wheel and of the tools carried thereby, and means for actuating said tools, may be employed, and I have shown several such forms in the accompanying drawings.

Considering first the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1, the teeth of the sprocket wheel therein are apertured for the reception of reciprocable tool shanks 52, upon the outer extremity of which shanks aremounted `tools 53, which in this instance consist o'f base plates or caps 54, each of which is provided with a series of out-staiiding or projecting points or teeth 55, adapted to gouge into the surface to be cut or disintegrated. A-s shown in Fig. 7, the plates 54 are preferably recessed for the reception of the head 56 of the shank 52, cach plate 54 being secured to the corresponding head 56 by means of bolts 57, and in order to insure a certain amount of flexibility in the tool, I provide helical springs 53 between the washers 459 which are mounted upon the said bol'tsand the head 56. The teeth or tool points are preferably made removable so .that they can be readily replaced when worn, and to this end may be formed substantially as shown in Fig. 7 with heads 60 which prevent the Itool points from slipping or jarring out of their respective places. Y

The inner extremity of each shank 52 is enlarged to form a cross-head 61, which is reciprocably mounted in a recess 62 formed within the teeth of the sprocket wheel 51. Each cross-head 61 carries journaled therein a pin'63 which passes through an eye 64 :which forms the outer extremity of a conforming extremity which serves to convert the rotary motion of the shaft upon which said eccentric is mounted, into reciprocatory movement. These eccentric-bearing shafts are of two lengths which have been respectively designated 67 and 68, the former being thel longerand bearing an eccentric upon either end thereof and the later having its eccentric centrally disposed thereon.

The teeth of the sprocket wheel 51 `are i staggered so that, in the exempliiication shown, a single centrally disposed tooth 69 alternates with two teeth 70, disposed adjacent either edge of the wheel. By reason of this arrangement thetools, which are also staggered in corresponding fashion and may be made of different widths, are adapted to cover a cut substantially equal to the width of the face of the 'tool sprocket.

In Fig. 4L the eccentric gearing shafts 67 and 68 are shown as being driven by electric motors, the motor shaftsbeing, in this instance, identical with shafts 67', or 68', as 'the case may be.

The distance between teeth 70 is sufficient to permit of the application of a motor 71 between the eccentrics corresponding to such teeth, which motor is mounted directly in the web 72 ofthe wheel 51; but where theeccentric is centrally disposed upon its shaft as in the case of the teeth 69, a motor? 73 is, preferably in each instance, arranged to one side of such eccentric; mot-or 7 3 being directly secured to the inner face of the rim of the sprocket. The outer extremity of each motor shaft 67 is jo-urnaled in a lug 74 which projects inwardly from the sprocket rim; sufficient space being aiforded between said lug and the corresponding eccentric to permit of a pinion 75 being mounted on said shaft. n

In like manner, upon either side of each motor 71 is a pinion 75, 'this pinion being disposed upon shaft 68 immediately inside of the eccentrics mounted thereon.

i of said motors is obtained.

The center of the web 72 has a bearing 77 formed therein which is hushed as at 7S to form a ball-race, a plurality ofballs 79 being disposed betweensuch bush and al second bush 80 which is mounted upon a short shaft S1. On either side of the hub of the sprocket wheel through which extends the bearing 77, is mounted a' sleeve 82 which coacts with a corresponding sleeve 83 to form ball recesses upon either side of the web 72. Balls 84 beingdisposed between such sleeves and the bushings S3 heilig inset into the hubs 85 of the respective gear wheels 76, above referred to. Upon the respective opposite sides each of these is a Second and smaller hub 86 which is keyed `as at 87 to the shaft 8]; so that the gears 76 may at all times rotate together.

The free ends of the arms 19 are bushed as at 88 to provide ball bearings or the like for the hubs 86 of the gears aforesaid, auxiliary bushings or sleeves 89 being provided around such hubs and balls 90 being disposed between bushings 88 and 89. lt will thus be seen that the gears 76 are friction lessly journaled in the extren'iities of the arms 19, while the tool sprocket is in turn carried by the shaft 81 to which these gears are keyed, said sprocket being free to rotate thereupon. It is evident from the construction shown that the motors 71 and 7B in addition to driving the Vtools in the manner aforesaid, react on the tool sprocket and tend to rotate the Same so that even though no separate means be provided for driving the chain 43 there is still a strong tendency for this cha-in to advance in the manner described, the direction ofrotation of motors 71 and 73 of course being adapted to this end. I prefer, however, to provide separate means which may also 'be termed auxiliary means, in this instance, for rotating the tool sprocket, which meansof course is, in this case, the motor 71 and geartherefrom to the sprocket 4-1 aforesaid. One of the principal advantages derived from the construction herein exemplified is that while a.. tool is directly driven by a motor, when such tool is not doing work, the motor thereof will aid in the operation of the tools that are doing work at such moment. Further, if for example the motors 71 and 7? be driven at a speed of one thousand revolutions per minute, the tools will thereby be reciprocated at a corresponding rate and will strike the rock, or the like, against which they are driven, a series of forceful blows at the said rate. But it is evident that each of such motors, were it notfor the interconnecting means, in this instance the Uear system provided, would alternately have a considerable load thrown upon it during one part of each revolution, and would have substantially no load during the other part of said revolution. The interconnection by means of gears, for example, of such motors, obviates this objectionable feature, and the load on such motors is hence substantially uniform at all times when the machine is in operation, if the character of the material to be cut is uniform. The tools of the character in question tend to strike a slightly glancing or wiping blowby reason of the advance of the tool over the surface to be cut due to the rotation of the sprocket 51, and as these blows are delivered forcefully and in very rapid succession, a powerful disintegrating effect is obtained, and the surface of a rock, or the like, against which the tools may be driven, will be rapidly abraded. Substantially simultaneously acting mucking devices, e. the buckets 50, which are each provided with a sharp cutting edge, scrape over the surface operated upon and collect all loose and also all frangible matter, thus clearing away the debris from the tools and continually exposing fresh surface for them to operate upon.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of tool sprocket and drive for the tools, in which but a single motor 91 is employed for driving thek cooperating tools, such motor being mounted upon a shaft 912 which is keyed at either end thereof to a hub 93 of a gear 76; two of such gears being provided as in the foregoing, these gears being correspondingly adapted for engagement with pinion 75 mounted upon shafts (S7- 68. These .shafts by means of eccentrics and connecting rods operate the tools 53. The shafts 68 are in this instance journaled as at 94 in the web of the sprocket wheel, and this web is secured in any suitable manner to the casing of the motor 91, while the said casing is further journaled into recess 95 formed in the bodies of the gears 7 6, balls 96 being provided therebetween so that in effect the gears 7 6 may be said to be journaled upon the motor casing. The hubs 93 of gears 76 carry thereon bushings 96 which are `lournaled in corresponding bushings 97 disposed in the free extremities of the arms 19, any suitable form of bearing of course being usable t0 this end. The motor casing is secured in any suitable manner to the web 97 of the sprocket so that when the motor 91 is driven, the gears 76 will rotate in one direction, while the sprocket 51 will correspondingly rotate in the other. By this action, through the instrumentality of the pinions 75, the tools 53 will be operated f substantially as in the foregoing.

It will thus be seen that this portion of the apparatus may be driven either from a single motor or a plurality of motors, but I prefer the form of device shown in Fig. 4, since this form is adapted to be operated with less friction and a greater amount 'of power is available for a sprocket of given size.

In Fig. 5 I have shown still another form of tool carrying sprocket, and also a diiferent form of tool. In this instance the sprocket has been shown as being driven by a chain L13, and the teeth 98 ofsaid sprocket carry tools 99 preferably disposed at an anglel therein; the tools in this eXempliiication,

of my invention being pneumatically operated, fluid pressure being delivered thereto by a fluid conduit 100 extending along or through one of the arms 19, said conduit delivering into a circular groove 101 formed around the axle 102 of the sprocket wheel 103; a plurality of conduits 104 extending outwardly therefrom to the respective tools. If air be delivered through only one arm 19 and it be desired to deliver the same to conduits 10i upon the opposite side of the sprocket wheel to that shown in Fig. 5, the shaft 105 may be centrally apertured as at 106 and ports or conduits 107 may extend radially outward from said aperture so as to open the same to grooves 101 which may be upon either side of the wheel.

While I have shown mechanically and pneumatically operated tools, it is of course to be understood that any suitable form or type of tool may be employed, and it is obvious that any suitable motive power may be employed therefor.

The general operation of the ma chine is as follows: Motor 4:4 co-acts with motors 71 and 73 or wit-h'motor 91 according to which form of construction is used, to continually drive the tool carrying sprocket and to drive the bucketed chain. The tools are driven in any of the foregoing ways, and the sprocket 51 may be raised or lowered while in action by means of motor 35. A suitable braking apparatus 108 serves to prevent vertical displacement of the tool sprocket when such motor is not in action. Correspondingly, the motor 32 serves to swing the said sprocket laterally in either direction. The buckets deliver the collected loose material to a chute 108, which delivers said material to a belt conveyer 109 of any suitable dcscription, a portion of which latter is preferably disposed beneath the floor of the car 1 and carried thereby, this conveyer serving to raise the debris and deliver the same to a cart or any other suitable receptacle by reason of the oblique extension 110 on said conveyer which projects upwardly and rearwardly from the car.` This conveyer may be driven by a suitable motor 111, and may be of any ordinary construction.

The novel mechanism herein disclosed is particularly well adapted for trenching, but is equally well adapted for tunneling or other excavating purposes, and.it will be observed that when tunneling, substantially one-half of the tools carried bv the tool carrying member, z'. e. the sprocket 51, will be in operation at practically all times.

As the upward travel of the tools and buckets or muckers tends to react upon the tool carrying sprocket to depress the same, such tendency together with the like tendency due to the action of gravity upon the over hanging parts may be counteracted by the provision of a suitable rail engaging or clamping device such as that shown at 112, which may consist, for example, of a bracket 113 supported from the under side of the car; said bracket having-a flange 114 at its lower extremity, adapted to bear against the under side of the head of the rail.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In an excavating machine, a wheel, a plurality of tools mounted in staggered relationship around and projecting outwardly from the peripheral surface of said wheel, means for rotating said wheel, scraping means adapted to travel substantially in the wake of said tools, and separate means for directly driving said tools.

2. In an excavating machine, a chain provided with scraping appliances, sprockets about which said chain is disposed, reciprocable tools mounted in recesses in the teeth of one of said sprockets, separate driving means for directly operating each of said tools, and means for inter-connecting said plurality of driving means.

3. In an excavating machine a revoluble structure, a plurality of tools mounted thereon, separate driving means for directly operating each of said tools and means for transmitting power from one of said driving means to a tool operated by another, to thereby aid the latter in its work.

4:. In an excavating machine, a revoluble member, a plurality of separate power mechanisms spaced around adjacent the peripheral surface of said member and tools carried by said member, operable by said mechanisms and scraping means adapted to travel substantially in the wake of said tools, said tools and scraping means projecting out from said peripheral surface, said tools projecting beyond said scraping means.

5. In an excavating machine, a revoluble member, a flexible structure disposed therearound and movable therewith, a plurality of separate power mechanisms spaced around said member, tools operable by said mechanisms, and means for removing relatively loose material from the path of said tools.

6. In an excavating machine, a revoluble member, a flexible structure disposed therearound and movable therewith, a plurality of separate power mechanisms around said member, tools operable by said mechanisms, and means carried by said flexible structure for removing relatively loose material from the path of said tools.

7. In an excavating machine, a toothed revoluble member, tools movably mounted in the teeth, power mechanism for moving the Working surfaces of said tools toward and from surfaces of said teeth of said member, a chain adapted to engage said teeth and means for driving said chain and member.

8. In an excavating,` machine, a toothed revoluble member, tools movably mounted in the teeth of said member, a chain adapted to engage said teeth and means for driving said tools, chain and member, the driving means for said tools including power mechanism for moving the working surfaces of said tools toward and from surfaces of said teeth.

9. In an excavating machine, a tooth revoluble member, tools movably mounted in the teeth of said member, said tools being1 adapted for forcible impact upon a surface to be operated upon, means for violently impacting said tools against said surface, a chain adapted to engage said teeth, scraping means carried by said chain, and means for driving said chain and member.

10. In an excavating machine, a car, a frame, sprockets carried by 'said frame, a bucketed-chain disposed around said sprockets, and reciprocatory tools mounted in the teeth of one 'of said sprockets.

1l. In an excavating machine, a Wheel, a plurality of reciprocatory tools movably mounted around and projecting outwardly from the peripheral surface of said wheel, means for rotating the wheel, scraping means adapted to travel substantially in the wake of said tools, and means for separately driving said tools against the material to be operated upon.

12. In an excavating machine, a plurality of members united to form a chain, a revoluble member about which said chain is disposed, collecting devices carried by some of said first named members, and a reciprocating tool carried by said revoluble member.

13. In an excavating machine, a chain provided with scraping appliances, sprockets about which said chain is disposed, tools movably mounted in recesses in the teeth of one of said sprockets, separate driving means for directly operating each of said tools, and means for interconnecting said plurality of driving means.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER O. API?.

Witnesses:

WALDO M. CHAPIN, JAMES DANTONIO.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ilve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, I). G. 

